Addressing the Future of Broadcasting at SUNY Broome

A few weeks ago I was asked to speak to a group of SUNY Broome students about the radio broadcasting field.

Looking back on a 30 year career I was able to shed some light on the industry, share some of my experiences, and offer some suggestions on how someone would break into the business today.

I explained how I interned right here at 991 The Whale, and started out in the newsroom at WNBF, where I had the pleasure to work with some of the finest in the business, like Bill Parker, Bernard Fionte, Roger Neel and John Leslie, they looked at me like the RCA Victor dog, obviously they didn’t have a clue about these people.

I talked about the changes in the business over the past three decades and the different dimensions of today’s broadcaster.

Then the hands went up and I fielded questions.

I was asked about the tasks that today’s broadcaster would do, in addition to being on the air, how do you get a license to start a radio station, and what types of tasks do interns do?

All in all I think the questions were very good, and I could have gone on for another hour talking about the radio field.

One thing I stressed is the importance of having a passion for what you do, don’t be picky about where you start, just look for ways to get to your goals, and always be prepared for the next level.

I really enjoyed talking to the class and I hope they have me back on campus to speak to another class in the near future.